Draft regulator



DRAFT REGULATOR Filed Dec. 20, 1956 INVENTOR. WILLIAM F. STEINEN ATTORNEY 2,904,255 DRAFT REGULATOR William F. Steinen, Newark, NJ. Application December 20, 1956, Serial No. 629,654 Claims. C1. 23645) The present invention relates to a draft regulator and it particularly relates to a device for regulating the balance of the draft regulator.

In the manufacture and sale of large size draft regulators, due to the variation in the thickness of metal, thickness of paint and other factors, which variations would be negligible with small size draft regulators, there is found to be considerable variation at the factory in the balance of the device.

It is desirable that this balance be corrected by means of a permanent adjustment which can be readily made without, at the same time, interfering with the adjustments for setting of draft settings which may be made in the field.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a simple, convenient adjustment which will permit permanent factory balancing which thereafter will not be subject to tampering in the field, with a separate provision permitting ready consumer adjustment in the field to regulate the draft of the device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel precision factory balancing arrangement for draft regulators which will accommodate variations in weight of the various parts or of the materials applied by way of finish or paint thereto and which will give assurance that the device will retain its factory adjust- ?eint permanently without likely derangement in the Still further objects and advantages will appear in the more detailed description set forth below, it being understood, however, that this more detailed description is given by way of illustration and explanation only and not by way of limitation, since various changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

In accomplishing the above objects according to one embodiment of the present invention, the regulator has the external sleeve or thimble shape to fit a main draft pipe or conduit with a swinging vane or gate positioned at the front portion or the inlet portion of the draft regulator thimble.

In the design of the present application, it has been found desirable to provide the balance of the swinging gate or vane so that the hinge points are substantially below the geometrical center, as well as the center of gravity, of the swinging vane.

Desirably the hinge point is about one-half to onethird the way from the geometrical center to the lower edge of the vane and is two-thirds to one-half the way below the center of gravity of the swinging vane.

In accomplishing this type of positioning, it has been found desirable to have the upper portion of the swinging gate or vane wider and of substantially greater weight by about five to twenty-five percent than the lower one-half of the swinging vane below the center of gravity.

The present invention is particularly directed to the permanent factory balancing means which is desirably positioned on the lower part of the gate or vane substantiallybelow both the geometrical center and of the States Patent ice center of gravity as well as below the hinge point or axis.

In the preferred arrangement, this permanent factory adjustment is positioned midway between the hinge point and the lower edge of the swinging vane.

In the preferred constructions, there is provided at the permanent balanced position, a device for carrying a through-member consisting of a threaded bolt or rod which extends through the swinging vane or gate.

This bolt or rod is provided with weights positioned at its ends substantially forwardly of and substantially rearwardly of the swinging vane or gate.

These weights may be regulated or adjusted in respect to their spacing from the front or back of the swinging gate or vane and will desirably provide suflicient field for consumer regulation.

The important feature of the present invention consists in an arrangement by means of which the weighting means for draft adjustment in the field or by the consumer may be varied in position or changed in location in respect to the hinge point, the center of gravity and the geometrical center of the swinging gate or vane and permanently be set in such adjusted position to prevent subsequent inadvertent readjustment or maladjustment or advertent or inadvertent tampering.

In one form the weighted rod which may be threaded throughout its length extends obliquely through a square nut set in the lower portion of the vane or gate and this nut is carried by a sandwiched construction consisting of plates positioned forwardly and rearwardly of the swinging vane or gate.

This sandwiched construction preferably has a slotted connection permitting upward and downward adjustment and in some instances sideward adjustment to give the permanent factory adjustment and then itmay be permanently locked in position after the factory adjustment.

As an alternative, the weighted bar extending through the vane or gate may be carried by an eccentric nut arrangement, or positioned eccentrically with a straight nut or threaded stud arrangement so that upon rotation the lateral as well as the vertical position weighted rod or bar maybe adjusted to correct the factory balance in calibration.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consists of a novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter will be more specifically described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of one form'of draft regulator according to the present invention with the assembled adjustment being shown at the lower central portion of the swinging gate or vane.

Fig. 2 is a side sectional view of an eccentric nut construction taken upon the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view upon enlarged scale of a screw used for locking the device of Figs. 1 and 3 in calibrated position.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, the external cylindrical frame or thimble A receives the swinging vane B having a geometrical center C and a center of gravity D somewhat above the geometrical center because of the widened contour, both the geometrical center C and the center of gravity D are well above the hinge line E.

The swinging vane B is provided with the hinges F,

3 the closed stop G and the open stop H and the side hinge plates J.

Extending through the vane or gate, desirably obliquely and downwardly forwardly; is the adjustable bar or rod K which is weighted at the ends by a forward weight L and a rearward weight M.

The bar or rod K, as shown, is desired to be threaded and rotated therefor backwardly or forwardly through the swinging vane B but it is also possible to move the weights L and M individually or together in respect to the swinging vane or gate B or to have a sliding arrangement instead of a threaded arrangement.

Referring specifically to the vane or gate B, it will bev noted that it reaches its maximum diameter and width at the points 10 and 11 above the geometrical center C so as to elevate the center of gravity D.

The side vertical portions- 12 are formed by the inturned flanges.

The brackets 16 are mounted on the support structures The vane or gate B, as shown in upright position, will contact and be stopped against the lug G which is stamped out of the side structure 17.

The threaded rod or sleeve K is shown as carrying the weights L, M simultaneously moving rearwardly or forwardly together.

In the embodiment of Figs. 2 to 4, there is a threaded nut U having the front clamping head V and the rear clamping nut W with the lock screw X.

The threaded rod K with the forward weight L and the rearward weight M may extend through the offcenter threaded opening 60.

In this embodiment, the vane or gate has the opening 61, through which the threaded shank 62 of the nut, is inserted.

The head V of the nut will clamp on the front of the vane B while the rear locking nut W will clamp on the rear of the vane B.

To achieve the factory adjustment the head V is first turned in either direction 63 to achieve the factory adjustment of the vane or gate B.

Then the lock screw X is screwed into the tapped opening 64 which is shown diametrically in opposite position from an eccentric threaded opening 60. 1

It will be noted that there is suflicient space in the opening 61 and at 65 to receive the nose 66 of the screw X.

The nose 66 will deform the thread and, the thread position 62 on the nut Q, locking the device permanently in adjusted position.

As the lock screw X is tightened in position, its head 68 will break off at the narrow neck 69 achieving a permanent locked position.

This major adjustment may be locked in position at the factory against subsequent tampering and when made will calibrate the device against variations with material T and finish.

While there has been herein described a preferred form of the invention, it should be understood that the same may be altered in details and in relative arrangement of parts within the scope of the appended claims.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, what is claimed is:

l. A draft regulator of the type having an encircling frame and a swinging vane mounted therein with hinges at each side thereof, said vane having an elongated member extending therethrough with weights adjustable in respect to. the vane to give field draft regulation, said regulated vane having a factory calibration means including an adjustable carrier for said elongated member mounted in said vane, said carrier having an outside threaded cylindrical body member and an inside eccentric off-center threaded passageway therethrough parallel to the axis of the carrier and said elongated member being adjustably threaded through said passageway.

2. A draft regulator of the type having an encircling frame and a swinging vane mounted therein with hinges at each side thereof, said vane having an elongated member extending therethrough with weights adjustable in respect to the vane to give field draft regulation, said regulated vane having a factory calibration means including an adjustable carrier for said elongated member mounted in said vane, said elongated member consisting of a threaded cylindrical member having weights positioned substantially forwardly and substantially rearwardlyof the vane and said carrier having an adjustment to permit change in location of the carrier in respect to the vane, said carrier having an outside threaded cylindrical body member and an inside eccentric off-center threaded passageway therethrough parallel to the axis of the carrier and said elongated member being adjustably threaded through said passageway.

3. A draft regulator of the type having an encircling frame and a swinging vane mounted therein with hinges at each side thereof, said vane having an elongated member extending therethrough with weights adjustable in respect to the vane to give field draft regulation, said regulated vane having a factory calibration means including an adjustable carrier for said elongated member mounted in said vane, said elongated member consisting of a threaded cylindrical member having weights positioned substantially forwardly and substantially rearwardly of the vane and said carrier having an adjustment to permit change in location of the carrier in respect to the vane, said carrier consisting of a nut carried by a sandwich construction with slotted connections to the lower part of the vane, said carrier having an outside threaded cylindrical body member and an inside eccentric off-center threaded passageway therethrough parallel to the axis of the carrier and said elongated member being adjustably threaded through said passageway.

4. A draft regulator of the type having an encircling frame and a swinging vane mounted therein with hinges at each side thereof, said vane having an elongated member extending therethrough with weights adjustable in respect to the vane to give field draft regulation, said regulated vane having a factory calibration means including an adjustable carrier for said elongated member mounted in said vane, said elongated member consisting of a threaded cylindrical member having weights positioned substantially forwardly and substantially rearwardly of the vane and said carrier having an adjustment to permit change in location of the carrier in respect to the .vane, said carrier consisting of a threaded nut extending through the lower part of the vane and locked in position thereon and having an eccentric tapped opening to receive said elongated member.

5. A draft regulator of the type having an encircling frame and a swinging vane mounted therein with hinges at each side thereof, said vane having an elongated member extending therethrough with weights adjustable in respect to the vane to give field draft regulation, said regulated vane having a factory calibration means including an adjustable carrier for said elongated member mounted in said vane, and means to lock said carrier in adjusted position,,said carrier having an outside threaded cylindrical body member and an inside eccentric olfcenter threaded passageway therethrough parallel to the axis of the carrier and said elongated member being adjustably threaded through said passageway.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

